Monthly Archives: July 2009

Let The Cat Out.

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Mumblers have and still continue to catch some very good fish like this giant Murray cod.

I’m not sure the term tackle rat is quite appropriate, but when it comes to lures, I love innovation and the chance to swim anything new. The cottage industry that makes up the majority of Australian lure makers is filled with a creative flare that’s more often than not fueled by the wants and needs of thinking anglers. Glen Casey, a Lismore based lure maker redesigned the American chatterbait turning it into the highly sought after Mumbler. Such has been its success on large Murray cod it has become a lure of great demand. A simple idea saw Glen upsize all the components in this lure, fit a tough soft plastic and stinger hook and the rest as they say is history. Since then there have been a truck load of variants hit the market, each promising something a little different when in reality they are all much the same. Like reinventing the wheel, there is only so much you can do to change an already effective product.  However there are plenty of new and exciting products hitting the water every day and inovation has seen a whole new range of tackle not far off being unveiled. Can’t wait to let the cat out on some of these.

Murray Cod On The Chew.

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This nice Murray cod nailed a 120mm AC Invader on the troll near Mildura.

This nice Murray cod nailed a 120mm AC Invader on the troll near Mildura.

Murray cod have been on the chew in most sections of pool- water along the Murray River in recent weeks. With good water clarity the Murray cod have responded well to spinnerbaits and hard-bodied lures either cast or trolled. Golden perch have been a little harder to find but there are a few for those who scale down the lure size. Last weekend we managed two nice Murray cod Saturday afternoon and another Sunday morning. The first two fish were taken on the cast using spinnerbaits the third nailed a black 120ml AC Invader.

Murray Cod Menu.

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Upchuck- Looking a little worse for wear this shag was just a snack for this hungry Murray cod.

Upchuck- Looking a little worse for wear this shag was just a snack for this hungry Murray cod.

Did you see that? Fishing mate Gus Storer pointed to an eruption of water not twenty meters away. Amidst the chaos, a parent duck is frantically trying to protect her young as the water around her hapless youngsters explodes again. Unseen, the menace from below makes a final rush. This time three of the small ducklings are sucked into the abyss. This ferocious assault could be likened to that of a shark cruising the ocean currents in a life and death struggle to survive. However this spectacle is played out a little closer to home on the tranquil calm of the Murray River. The unseen foe in question none other than a giant Murray cod. King of its domain, all who fit in its bucket-sized gob are on the menu. As luck would have it, on this day the female black duck managed to make the safety of the bank with several of her clutch still intact. Small consolation for those who ended up as lunch, but not all who meet the mighty Murray cod on their home turf get away so lightly.

Stomach contents of larger fish over the years have shown that they are not only a veracious predator they are also quite the scavenger. And while I have seen many strange things regurgitated by these giant fish, this season has been a real revelation as to what sized prey they will actuality tackle. It’s around this time every year when large flocks of cormorants push schools of bony bream to the surface in a feeding frenzy. It’s a free for all joined in by pelicans gulls and whistling kites. Under the waters surface, the mass of large black birds ravenously plunder the hapless fish. Not far below, unbeknownst to these birds another predator has honed in on the action. With cunning calm, it lies in wait as the moving mass draws closer. Amidst the fleeing frenzy the cormorants work with grace, focused on their busy meal they are unaware of the giant closing in. An explosion of power launches from the depths. Mouth ablaze, it inhales not the baitfish but one of their tormentors; the large black cormorant disappears in an instant. The rest of the flock work on oblivious to the fact their numbers are now one less; the cod itself retreats to its haunt to lie in wait for that next feathery meal.

Twice now I have seen large cod regurgitate one of these birds in the boat. While the smell was a little stifling at the time, it gives a great insight as to just what these fish are capable of consuming. The underwater struggle of life and death puts all that dwell within its realm on the menu of the rivers number one predator, the mighty Murray Cod.

Koolabung Codwalker surface Lure.

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The Koolabung Codwalker has proven track record on Murray cod and Golden perch.

When it comes to surface action the Koolabung Codwalker is a proven catcher of both Murray cod and Golden perch. At 95mm in length this lure has a great action that’s sure to draw a lot of attention. The Koolabung Codwalker is now available in our online store.

The Best Murray Cod Lure.

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A simple question and one I’ve been asked at least a squillion times, what is the best lure for Murray cod? Rod Harrison or Harro, legend fishing- scribe best answered this when he wrote; cod lures can be many spanners and screwdrivers in a toolbox. Sometimes a pair of pliers will get you by, but there will be situations where you’d trade them all for a socket wrench or Allen key.

Harro with a solid cod taken on a 150 ml AC Invader. The right tool for the job on that day.

That simple explanation about sums it up. The many moods of Murray cod is what dictates the lure style best suited to the job as do many natural variations including water depth, available cover and so on. If you understand the make up of a particular lure and the effects certain conditions place upon it, you will then understand where it can be used to greatest effect. It’s the angler more so than anything else that constitutes the success of any one particular lure.

Fleck This Out.

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Codmac is happy to introduce a new colour to the Muldoon signature series. After many requests for a purple to be added to the range it seemed time to comply with our customers wishes. The new colour aptly dubbed purple fleck will be available in the King Mong the Big Mong and the Mong Mong. There have already been a few nice Murray cod and golden perch landed on the new colour during its initial trial period. The new purple fleck range will become available soon. 

The new purple fleck colour is sure to tempt plenty of Murray cod & Golden perch.

 

Fishing Furniture.

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The range of fishing furniture is home enough for all your gear.

The range of fishing furniture is home enough for all your gear.

If you’re anything like me, when it comes to fishing equipment then you’ll no doubt understand the moral dilemmas faced on where your rods and reels should best be stored. Often worth a small fortune, it seems only logical that such expensive and highly prized possessions be stored under the safety of ones own roof. This of course is all good and well from a male perspective but when it comes to the better half and she who should be obeyed, fishing equipment does not rate as furniture.
Most often, prized rods and reels valued at more than a thousand dollars are banished to the back shed where spiders use them as fastening points to spin their webs. Meanwhile a fifty-dollar vase takes pride of place center table for the entire world to see, not a spider in sight.   

Logic would say that a vase worth fifty bucks used to hold flowers is far less important than a thousand dollar fishing combo that has become the corner stone of a spider’s house. But logic is often lost in such gender related matters and in order to find common ground we need to go down the road of mediation, enter Mark Kingston. Mark’s mediating skills are 25 years in practice and are projected through his work as a cabinetmaker. Thwart with the same problem, Mark sought common ground through a range of finely crafted pieces of fishing furniture used to hold rods, reels and tackle. He has developed four different models each holding up to ten rods, two of which come with a built in reel and tackle cupboard on the end of the unit. Depending on what species of fish take your preference, each piece can be engraved with either a Murray cod, snapper, tuna or a trout. Such a simple idea has bought bliss into many households and adds new meaning to the words furniture king. Everybody’s happy, the lovely wife gets some new furniture, the man of the house has a spot indoors to store his beloved fishing gear, and the only ones missing out are the spiders. I wonder if they’d mind living in that vase that used to take pride of place before the real furniture arrived. For all your fishing furniture mediation, visit www.fishingxfurniture.com.au. or contact Mark on 039 727 3269.